


A Time To Forget (subtle slash)

by salazar_kat



Series: Background fics to 'Snacks and Letters' [36]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: M/M, Marauders' Era, Slash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-01-05
Updated: 2012-01-05
Packaged: 2017-10-28 23:54:44
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 771
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/313558
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/salazar_kat/pseuds/salazar_kat
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Severus visits Regulus, thinking Sirius is at James' place. Wrong.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Time To Forget (subtle slash)

He arrived at ten o'clock in the morning. Severus looked around warily, his head on an angle, just having left Spinner's End to appear in the fireplace at Number 12 Grimmauld Place. It was to be just a short visit.

Regulus wanted Severus to see the home of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black. Sirius was at James Potter's. The silver and various shades of green almost disarmed him – almost.

There stood Regulus, gawky and grinning, much more a presence than he appeared at first sight. He was fast, nimble, an expert in the air. But his knees were close together and his arms were entwined in front of him as he stood on the plush emerald carpet. There were silver serpents everywhere, worked into the rug and the curtains, in the silver of the chandelier. It seemed a sitting room. Such a rich place. Severus had many questions. They got caught short by an unexpected voice.

“Bringing home the strays again, Regulus?” asked a whip-like voice that made Regulus colour and Severus jump slightly, jerking sideways into a statue likely worth more than Severus' entire block of terraced houses.

“He's not stray, Mother, this is Severus Snape who's in our house and a year ahead. He's in Fifth year.”

“You told me about this mangy half-blood. What have I said?” Walburga Black growled at her son. A tall black-haired man with slate-grey eyes who looked all too much like Sirius laid a hand on her shoulder.

“He's got to have friends. He'll learn to go for better. You, Snape, may stay.” Orion Black sounded world-weary but tolerant.

Severus was about to snarl that he'd rather be in a giant heap of rubbish than welcome among such petty purebloods, but he turned this into a slightly curious smile. “Thank you.”

There was an almighty crash. A rucksack had just been kicked down the stairs. Someone was storming down after it. All brazen and angry, Sirius Black appeared at the foot of the stairs and looked into the sitting room.

Regulus spoke first. “You left this morning! But this is too cool, you are in the same room as...”

“I can smell Snivellus from here, thanks,” Sirius said coolly, but you could see the anger increase behind slate-grey eyes like his father's and brother's. He was tense. “And what is he doing here?”

“You know Severus and I are friends. It's no secret.”

“Your boyfriend?” Sirius asked with a voice full of malice. Regulus laughed. It was old between them. “You'd just be jealous,” Regulus replied.

Sirius flushed and pulled at his robes. Severus blanched. Both boys looked at each other with what looked the deepest of mutual loathing. Severus' lip curled and Sirius drew his wand in an identical gesture to his foe.

“Stop it, you're not at school. Yes you can do magic at home, but you don't have three mates to back you up. Can't you ever get along?” Regulus said heatedly.

“No,” the other boys both snarled at Regulus, whose knees were knocked and his arms at an odd angle. He was gripping his wand too, as were Orion and Walburga.

“Drop your wand. No one threatens my son!” Walburga shrieked. “Filthy son of a Mud-blooded gnat!”

Severus whipped his wand down but it was still pointed at Sirius. Handsome Sirius now looked nothing short of a furious gargoyle, and Severus wasn't much prettier. He looked calculating.

“Want to pretend this moment never happened?” Severus breathed, and a small smile appeared at the corners of his mouth. “This is a time we want to forget.”

“What?”

“You know what I mean,” Severus said, and his eyes were slits. Sirius readjusted his robes once more.

Regulus looked flummoxed.

Severus spoke. “Never mind me, Reg, I'll go back to Spinner's End. I've seen everything, after all.” He then addressed Sirius. “Take the matter in hand.”

“Don't tell me what to do! We never met. You're shit, Snivellus, you know that? A cruel piece of shit.” Sirius looked at his parents who both looked mystified. Regulus knew.

“I can guarantee this is a time I want to forget, It never happened.” Regulus was the younger, but he had more sense as he echoed Severus' earlier sentiment. “You two agree?”

“It never happened,” Sirius and Severus agreed, and Severus stepped back to the fire, looked on the mantelpiece and picked up the box of Floo powder. How they wanted to go back to just hating each other in peace.

The last thing Regulus saw of Severus before his return to school was a black eye glittering amid emerald green flames.


End file.
